


another line from me to you

by onecentpipit



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Pre-Relationship, but weirdly intimate domestic scenes and kisspering, i'm sorry there are literally no other MX members in this because I Do Not Know Them Yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 02:05:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13331190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onecentpipit/pseuds/onecentpipit
Summary: Kihyun's life falls a bit sideways.(The devil's in the details.)





	another line from me to you

Kihyun is taking a quick break to check his email in the bathroom, when the bells hanging over the front door start clanging. He fumbles to tuck his phone into his back pocket, smoothing out the front of his apron at the same time. With the sudden cold snap and winter winds blustering in from the north, there’s been a swell of customers coming through the frosted glass doors of the restaurant where Kihyun works, tempted by the promise of hot soup and hand-cut buckwheat noodles.

Kihyun usually doesn't mind working the night shift — it’s warmer than sitting alone in his empty apartment at the very least — but it's late and the steady stream of customers had slowed to a trickle in the past hour.

When he slips into the kitchen through the backdoor, Mrs. Park has already pulled out a tub of _baechu geotjeori_ and placed a small serving of the heavily seasoned cabbage into a shallow bowl, ready to serve.

"Sunghee already went to take their order," she says. "How's your stomach feeling now?"

"Better," Kihyun reassures. It's half the truth. The fluttering anxiety that has been stirring in his core since this morning has settled into an uneasy sense of calm.

Mrs. Park looks sharply at him over her glasses. It's less intimidating than she probably intends, her lenses misted over with steam as she points her chopsticks at Kihyun. "It's the flu season," she warns. "You don't want to get sick now."

Before Kihyun can respond, Sunghee pokes her head through the window behind the register.

"Our favorite customers are here," she sings, tearing the top page off her order pad and slapping it on the counter. "That’s three orders of seafood _kalguksu_ and a side of ~our Kihyunnie~ to serve."

"Who is that," Kihyun mutters, distracted, " _our Kihyunnie_." Sunghee and Mrs. Park cackle at that, and even Mrs. Park's usually taciturn husband lets out a huff of laughter from behind the steaming pots of soup that he's been tending. Kihyun glares at them and takes up the tray of side dishes to the dining area with as much dignity as he can muster.

There's a group of three girls sitting at the table closest to the heater, talking intensely among themselves. Their voices hush as Kihyun gets close and starts serving the small plates in front of them.

"Your noodles will be ready soon," he says, head ducked low, and quickly turns away. He almost makes it clear to the kitchen when they finally gather their courage and call him back.

"Kihyun-ah, when is the next time — when is your brother coming to visit?" asks the girl in the corner farthest from him, tucking her hair self-consciously behind her ear. Her friends giggle besides her, covering their coral-tinted mouths behind their hands. They don’t look that much older than he does, he notes, sourly, the smile on his face frozen in place.

"Sorry, I can't tell you that," he apologizes. The girl flushes, looking mortified then, and he relents. "He hasn't had a lot of time to come lately because they're working on something special right now!"

It's a lie — Kihyun has no idea what his brother's schedule is like — but it lets him escape while the girls thank him profusely and begin chattering among themselves, excited.

"Ooh, that was so convincing. Maybe you should become an idol, too, huh?" Sunghee teases when Kihyun joins her behind the cash register counter, and he wrinkles his nose. " _Oppa,_ " she whispers, nasal and high, and he pretends to throw a menu at her face.

Without any further interruptions the girls quickly finish their meal, requiring only a second refill of their side dishes which Sunghee takes over graciously now that Kihyun has done his bit of service.

"Come again next time!" Mrs. Park calls out from behind the register when they finally leave.

Kihyun frowns at her disapprovingly. "You’re a bad person."

"Do you remember how many plates you broke in your first month?" Mrs. Park shoots back, and Kihyun splutters in protest. "I’m just recouping my investment."

 _What investment?_ he mouths at Sunghee while Mrs. Park's back is to them, widening his eyes innocently when she turns around and shoots him a quelling look.

When they've finished closing shop, Mrs. Park pushes a plastic bag into Kihyun's hands. Kihyun tries to protest but she clucks her tongue at him.

"When an elder gives you something you're supposed to accept it," she scolds and Kihyun nods, obediently.

"Auntie, you're making him feel all awkward," Sunghee interjects, and Kihyun can barely squeeze in a word of thanks before the two women start bickering in earnest over manners and the modern age. Mrs. Park's husband waves Kihyun off, telling him to get home safely, and Kihyun steps out into the cold.

There’s someone lingering around the corner of the restaurant. Kihyun’s fingers tighten over the strap of his messenger bag slung across his shoulder before he walks over determinedly.

"You're here again,” he says, with just a hint of a question. The hood of the plain black puffer jacket turns up, revealing pale strands of hair that peek out from under the opening. Even with a mask covering half of their face, Kihyun knows who it is.

It's the fifth time that Lee Minhyuk has come to the restaurant now and the third time by himself. Kihyun's brother had brought their whole group out a couple of times to treat them as the eldest of the band, but Minhyuk has, for whatever reason, come back. It's more than Kihyun's own brother has stopped by, which doesn't really bother Kihyun as it does bewilder him. The noodle shop that he works at is a small family-run affair; Mrs. Park and her husband are kind people, and their niece Sunghee is charming and bright, but there are dozens of restaurants just like theirs scattered around the city. There is even another, more famous _kalguksu-jib_ just a few blocks away, if Minhyuk were looking for something special to post on his SNS.

"I came by earlier but there were other customers and I didn’t want to disturb." Minhyuk explains, eyes curving into crescents over the black mask covering the lower half of his face. His shoulders are hunched up against the biting cold and there seems to be a general air of embarrassment around him. It's cute, the type of thing that would probably charm the girls from earlier, which only sets Kihyun further on edge.

"You didn’t want to see your adoring fans?" Kihyun asks, a little snidely, and Minhyuk laughs, tugging down one side of his mask to let it hang off his right ear.

"When you put it like that it does sound a bit silly, doesn’t it?" he says, tone still light, and Kihyun feels an unexpected prick of guilt.

The last message his brother sent to their family's group chat had been an apology. _It’s okay_ , their mother had written back, _You’ll win next time_. Kihyun hadn't replied at all, caught up in a dinner with some friends in his photography circle at school. By the time he finally seen the exchange it had felt too late and he hadn't known what to say.

He swallows roughly and glances at his phone. It's almost eleven o'clock now and Kihyun's stomach feels hollowed out by hunger now that he realizes that he's barely eaten all day, rushing between his two part-time jobs.

"If you're still hungry, my place is close by. We could have dinner." He raises the plastic bag to show off the full contents.

"I'd like that," Minhyuk answers, slowly, as if turning each word around in his mouth. "I'd like that a lot."

By the time the bus arrives, Minhyuk’s cheeks are pink from waiting in the cold, a contrast to his white-dyed hair which he tucks back neatly under his hood. Kihyun stands in front of Minhyuk's seat to shield him from view. A girl wearing a school blazer under her coat gets on a couple stops later and looks back once, twice, at them from the front of the bus before shaking her head and looking back down at her phone. Minhyuk nudges Kihyun's legs at that, the corner of his mouth twitching up meaningfully, and Kihyun rolls his eyes.

"This is our stop,” he announces, pushing roughly past Minhyuk who yelps and scrambles after him off the bus.

From there, it's a short five-minute walk to Kihyun's building. Minhyuk seems charmed by the neighborhood, glancing around wide-eyed at the rather unremarkable housing units and bags of trash and recycling set out for collection. Kihyun eyes him a bit suspiciously at first but relaxes by the time they've climbed the six flights of stairs to his room, both slightly winded.

"It's so clean," Minhyuk marvels once he's seated at the small folding table that Kihyun pulls out from the corner. Kihyun looks around and shrugs, bringing two large bowls, a ladle, and two sets of utensils from the kitchenette in the corner. He knows he's neater than most but there's precious little space in the cramped room otherwise.

"Here, Minhyuk-ssi." Kihyun fills one of the bowls with warm broth and Mrs. Park's handmade _sujebi_ and pushes it toward Minhyuk.

Minhyuk thanks him, beaming. "I've never had the _sujebi_ here before." He cautiously blows on a piece of dough before taking a bite. "Ah, it's really, really good!" Kihyun makes a vague noise of agreement. They don't speak much over the next few minutes, eating quickly with only a few comments from Minhyuk about how tasty the food is and whether the restaurant delivers.

"Did you know we’re the same age?" Minhyuk suddenly asks, setting his chopsticks down and breaking the quiet.

Kihyun knows. His brother had mentioned it when the final line-up for Monsta X had been announced and their mother had asked about his future bandmates. Kihyun is less sure what to make of the fact that Minhyuk knows, and that his brother must have told Minhyuk at some point.

"We're born in the same month," Kihyun shares after a moment of hesitation. "Hyung says your birthday is a good reminder that mine is coming up."

"Oh!" Minhyuk smiles broadly. "Has he talked a lot about the group with you then, Kihyun-ssi?"

Kihyun picks at the lint on his sweater. He really should do his laundry soon. "Not really," he answers. Then, in a rush of honesty that surprises even himself, he adds, "We're not that close. I don't understand what you're even doing here."

"Kihyun-ssi, is it okay if we speak comfortably?" Minhyuk asks. Kihyun nods, more out of politeness than anything else. It sends his hair into his eyes and he has to shake it out, which causes Minhyuk to coo. "That's so cute," he says and Kihyun narrows his eyes.

"Never mind," Kihyun says, "I take it back."

Minhyuk startles, mouth falling open, before he lets out a bark of surprised laughter. "You’re different," he observes. "All prickly. I like it."

Kihyun snorts. "Different from my brother?" He stands up to clear the table, stacking the dirty dishware and standing up. Minhyuk's gaze is heavy on him, tracking his movements. "What?" he asks defensively and almost stumbles. Minhyuk stands up, following him to place a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"You're different from everyone I know," he says, earnestly. Heat spreads throughout Kihyun's body from that single point of contact, and he quickly turns away to place the bowls and used cutlery in the sink. Minhyuk leans back against the counter, hand falling away easily.

"That's because you only see celebrities now," Kihyun mutters as he starts running water over the dishes but Minhyuk shakes his head.

"I don't actually know that many other idols," he says, tipping his head back so that he can look at Kihyun's face. "That's why I think we should become friends."

"We've already dropped formalities," Kihyun points out, scrubbing harder than he probably needs to.

Minhyuk pouts, pushing his shoulder into Kihyun's. "That's not the same thing at all."

Kihyun rinses the bowls and places them on the dish rack to dry, the absurdity of the situation finally catching up to him. He's not — there's nothing special about Kihyun. He does well enough in school but he's just been rejected from two internships this week (and today probably makes three), and he has no idea what he's going to do with his visual arts degree after he graduates if he can't get a job.

And then there's Minhyuk standing into the corner of his room. Minhyuk who is an idol in a group that's still struggling to get recognized on the street, who works with Kihyun's brother and smiles so prettily at Kihyun when he calls him cute. Minhyuk's hair looks like it’s glowing under the fluorescent ceiling light, a blurry-edged halo.

Kihyun carefully wipes his hand clean on a dish towel and then leans forward to kiss him, a soft half-breath against Minhyuk's lips which part with a sigh. It’s not entirely unexpected — Kihyun wouldn’t have, if he hadn’t thought he could see it, the quiet suggestion, in Minhyuk’s eyes as well — but a shivering jolt of electricity goes down his spine.

The inside of Minhyuk’s mouth tastes a bit like onions, which should be strange, but mostly it reminds him that Minhyuk is here with him, in his shoebox apartment. Kihyun twists his hand into the side of Minhyuk’s jacket, gasping when cool fingers slide up along the side of his neck, cradling his face.

"You're so cute," Minhyuk whispers between a trail of kisses and gentle nips down Kihyun's jaw. Kihyun lets out a small noise that sounds embarrassingly close to a squeak when Minhyuk's teeth scrape roughly against his throat. Flushed, Kihyun pulls away but Minhyuk chases after him, grinning as he places a messy wet kiss to the back of Kihyun's hand.

"Gross," says Kihyun, willing away the heat in his cheeks. "Go brush your teeth first if you're going to slobber all over me."

"I'll need a toothbrush."

"I have extras."

"Really?"

"It's late," Kihyun says, stubbornly looking away from Minhyuk's face. "You should just stay the night. I'll let my brother know." Minhyuk hums his agreement.

Feeling self-conscious, Kihyun shows Minhyuk to the bathroom, setting out a new toothbrush and a clean set of sleep clothes. With the door shut between them, he quickly changes into a pair of loose sweatpants and, after a moment's hesitation, an over-sized t-shirt that reaches his thighs. Then he starts a new message on his phone.

 _Minhyuk-ssi_ , he types out on his phone before pausing and hitting the backspace button. _Minhyuk is at my place tonight. We ran into each other and had dinner together. Since it's late I told him he could stay overnight._

He waits as the small _'1'_   by the message disappears, indicating that his message has been read, but there's no reply for over a minute.

_Is that okay since you're not promoting right now?  
I'll help him get back in the morning._

This time there's a response within a few seconds. _That's fine_. And then, _Sleep well, Kihyun-ah_.

Minhyuk seems content to flop onto Kihyun's bed with his phone while he waits for Kihyun to do his own washing up. When Kihyun steps back out into the main room, the overhead light has already been turned off, leaving only his bedside lamp on. Minhyuk has wormed his way under the covers, tucked cozily against the wall.

"'s so cold," he complains when Kihyun pulls the edge of the duvet out from underneath him to join him in bed.

"If you stopped hogging the blankets to yourself maybe we could both get warmer faster," Kihyun grumbles. He does his best to pull the sheets around him like a shared cocoon.

"Oh my, Kihyun-ssi, what are you suggesting!"

Kihyun stares at Minhyuk in disbelief. "You aren't going to start being polite now."

Minhyuk's gaze slides sideways, sly. "I guess not."

"Go to sleep," Kihyun tells him irritably, and Minhyuk's eyes flutter shut obediently. His mouth is still curved up into a smile. Kihyun can feel the corners of his own mouth trying to sneak up in response and he tamps down the urge. "My alarm's set for six," he warns. Minhyuk whines something unintelligible into the blankets and Kihyun presses his cold feet against Minhyuk's, unlocking his phone to make sure the alarm is actually set.

There's an email notification that must have popped up while he was getting ready for bed. His finger hovers the screen, frozen with indecision.

"Go to sleep," Minhyuk says, repeating Kihyun's words to him in the dark room. Kihyun looks up from the cool glow of his phone screen. Minhyuk's eyes are still closed, but he's lying too stiffly on his back. Kihyun locks his phone and twists over to set it on his nightstand. When he turns back to slip fully under the covers again, Minhyuk has flipped onto his side, curling in to face Kihyun.It makes feel Kihyun feel strangely soft inside, some hidden knot of tension in his stomach releasing.

"Hey." Kihyun whispers in the dark. Minhyuk cracks one eye open and then the other.

"What?" he asks, equally hushed. Kihyun grins.

"Good night."

"Cute but weird," Minhyuk huffs, but he shifts closer, tangling his legs with Kihyun's.

In the morning, Kihyun will wake up to check his e-mail and think of something more to say to his brother before rushing off to meet with his advisor, who will probably be disappointed when Kihyun tells her that he still hasn't figured out what he wants to do for his senior project next year. But in the morning maybe Minhyuk will also still be there, warm and sleepy-eyed, with his clever, inviting mouth. The thought fills Kihyun with an anticipation that he hasn't felt in a while, and he drifts off to sleep listening to the gentle rhythm of Minhyuk's breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> the au where kihyun's older brother is the idol and a member of Monsta X, and kihyun is an unassuming university student working in a noodle shop. inspired by the 161110 suwon fansign event with kihyun.
> 
> (aka the au of the other au that i'm thinking about right now ;;;; no one look at me, i'm suffering.)


End file.
